In the next 10 years capital expenditures on U.S. municipal water, stormwater infrastructure and wastewater will grow by a whopping 11 percent according to a recent report by Bluefield Research. The report states $683 billion is needed to address aging infrastructure, combined sewer overflows, and the demand increase on treatment plants and distribution networks by 2027. (1)

More than half of the funds, about $376 billion, are allocated to the distribution and collection networks for water and wastewater. Of this spend 75% of the funds will go to pipes, of which 60% is dedicated to fixing the existing crumbling networks. Water Finance & Management stresses the importance of these repairs because almost two trillion gallons of water per year, or about 15 percent of the total drinking water treated in the U.S., is wasted due to leakage. (2)

The Bluefield report also highlights the opportunity for growth in the water solutions market sector. Companies with proven efficiency in mapping, analyzing rehabilitating, and operating aging wastewater and water systems will be in high demand from utilities looking to invest in “Big Data” solutions. (2)